Time-Out vs Game Over
by christibabe
Summary: While at a Rangers game with Morelli, Stephanie has an aha moment that changes the course of her future. This is a one-shot in response to a challenge that MomofPhoenix made. Babe HEA


**Disclaimer: **The characters you recognize as Janet's are hers, I'm just borrowing them. This was written in response to a challenge issued by MomofPhoenix. Special thanks to my co-author Tina who set up the hockey plays for me, Sandra for your input, and to JenRar for coming along as beta. Any mistakes are mine.

**Time-Out vs Game Over**

Here I was, sitting in the stands, ready to watch my favorite hockey team, the Rangers, play the New Jersey Devils and waiting for Joe to get back with our makeshift dinner of hot dogs and beer. This was the second game of a home-and-home series—when two teams play back to back, with each team being at home once—and this one promised to be a good one. Last night, Joe and I had watched them play in New York on TV while we'd shared a pizza and had a beer. These teams were so close physically—only separated by ten miles via the Lincoln Tunnel—and that had to tie into why this rivalry was so heated.

There weren't too many Rangers fans in the crowd, from the look of how everyone was dressed. Still, I knew that we were better sports than the vicious Philly fans. They were known for their cursing, getting into the faces of the opposing team's fans, throwing beer on them, and even throwing things at the players. I mean, these people even booed Santa Claus. Now what kind of person does something like that?

I felt the excitement increase as the first of the players made their way onto the ice. They skated around for a warm-up before making their way to their respective benches. Just then, Joe returned and slipped into the seat beside me. He handed me my beer and hot dog before placing his beer in the cup holder attached to the seat's armrest and then taking a huge bite of hot dog.

I shook my head as I placed my cup in its holder and opened the wrapper of my own hot dog before taking a bite and chewing. My eyes rolled as I got a taste of the onion. After all this time, you'd think he'd get it right, but after over three years of an on again-off again relationship, Joe still couldn't remember that I hated the taste of raw onion. I looked over at his and was grateful he'd at least shown some restraint and had only placed a small quantity on mine.

Scraping off as much of the onion as I could, I finished the rest of my dinner as I watched the teams on the ice prepare themselves for the coming game. It was just as I was wadding up the paper that the first lines were up for the face-off. The expression on the players' faces as they waited for the official to drop the puck gave me the impression that these two teams hadn't forgotten anything from last night's game, when the teams had been at each other's throats. This should be interesting.

The puck was dropped in the face-off circle and right away the gloves were off and the sticks went flying. Rangers defenseman Daniel Girardi and Devils centerman Travis Zajac were throwing punches. These two had a history that went back a few years. As hockey fights went, this one was a good one. As soon as Zajac was on his back on the ice, the refs broke them apart and the two were escorted off to the penalty box—each getting a five minute "time-out" for fighting. The trash talking continued between the two as they served their penalty.

Joe belched and tapped my upper arm with another hot dog.

I shook my head. The onion taste from the first one was still coating my mouth so that it was the only thing I tasted.

He shrugged and dug into it with gusto.

I took a sip of beer and went back to watching the game.

They were nearly ten minutes into the period when Andy Greene attempted to knock the stick out of Derek Stepan's hand, hitting his forearm instead. The crowd cheered until the whistle blew and the referee raised his arm. Greene, a Devils defenseman, was sent to the "sin bin"—which was the popular name for the penalty box—to serve his time for the slashing penalty that had been called on him.

I leaned forward in my seat. It was time for the Rangers to step it up with a one-man advantage on the power play. Sixty seconds were left on the play, and after plenty of chances to score where they hadn't been able to complete the plays, Marc Staal—Rangers defenseman—sailed the puck past Devils goalie Martin Brodeur's shoulder. Rangers fan were pounding on the glass in a show of support.

Andy Greene stepped out of the box and slammed his stick on the ice, breaking it in half. Uh-oh. Shit was going to get real very soon if that was an indication of things to come. Sure enough, within a matter of seconds, Greene was back in the penalty box and one of the Rangers players was out of the game with an injury.

The clock was counting down, and with less that fifteen seconds left in the first period, the Devils came back to tie the game. Stephen Gionta, centerman for the Devils, flipped a slap shot past Rangers goalie, Henrik Lundqvist. The crowd erupted into cheers as the buzzer sounded to signal the first period was over and now we had seventeen minutes to get our business taken care of while the Zambonis cleaned and smoothed the ice.

I stood up with the intention to use the ladies' room. A tug on my arm had me frowning as I turned to see Joe holding out some cash toward me. He gave me a look that at one time would have had me hot and bothered and ready to hit the sheets. All I felt at the moment, though, was irritation that he was taking so long to tell me what it was he wanted.

"Can you pick us up some pizza and more beer?"

I grabbed the twenty and hurried so that I'd have time to get back before the start of the second period. Somehow I lucked out and the bathroom was nearly empty as I hurried in and took care of business before washing up and heading to the concession stands. There was a couple ahead of me, arguing over the way the game was going. He was wearing a Devils jersey, and she had on a Rangers one.

The woman said, "I'm just saying that the Devils are being exceptionally physical tonight, that's all."

Her partner scowled. "You're just upset because your team is losing."

She rolled her eyes. "That has nothing to do with it."

"Yeah, right. And if by some chance the Rangers manage to win, you'll be bragging about how badass your team is that they can take everything the Devils dish out and still come out ahead."

"Why are you always so mean whenever our teams play? I swear you totally change and you expect me to just forget everything you say when it's over."

"I do not!"

"Yes, you do! What's more, Jeffrey is starting to pick up on it, and he acts the same way when he doesn't get his way."

"Well, excuse me for teaching my son something."

"I don't care if you want to teach him something; just make it something useful!"

I was quickly getting tired of the argument going on in front of me. From the looks they were getting from the others in line, I wasn't alone. As if she had suddenly become aware of all of the attention they were drawing, the woman leaned up and mumbled something in the man's ear.

He looked up at the sky for a moment and then turned to look at the people watching them. Taking a deep sigh, he said, "I'm sorry, Tania. I didn't mean anything by what I said." He turned to us and gave a weak smile. "Entertainment's over, folks. Sorry for the scene."

A little old lady in the next line winked at Tania and asked, "Are you going to put him in time-out when you go home?"

Tania smiled up at the man, and you could see the love shining in her eyes. "Time-outs are for games, not relationships."

The line moved forward, and after a couple more minutes, I had the pizza and beer Joe had asked for and was on my way back to my seat. I'd just made it when the teams were heading back onto the ice. I handed Joe his pizza and beer and took my seat as Tania's words replayed in my mind.

Joe frowned. "Didn't you get yourself something?"

I shook my head. "I'm not hungry. Thanks, though."

With the start of the second period, Ryan McDonagh seemed to be itching to go rounds with a Devil—and he didn't seem to care which one, as he was sending taunts at all of them. Jacob Josefson took him up on the taunts, and the two went at it hard and heavy. Each had spots of blood on their jerseys, which we were able to see on the jumbotron—the large-screen television centered over the middle of the ice—while taking theirskate to the box, which basically meant to skate their way over to the penalty box.

Five minutes later, a groan went up in the crowd as the Devils' Ryane Clowe took a stick between the legs from Matz Zuccarello. Clowe was slow to get up while the Ranger was shown his seat for holding. Now it was the Devils' chance for a power play, and the crowd was loudly cheering them on. The cheering got even louder when Steve Bernier got one into the net to take the lead for the Devils.

No sooner were all the players on the floor then one of the Devils was sent to the penalty box for elbowing a Ranger. As the player skated to the box, a voice behind me spoke in a snarky tone to say, "These guys take more time-outs than Stephanie and Morelli."

I turned to look behind me, and sure enough, three rows back sat Terri Gilman and another woman I wasn't familiar with. Her gaze turned in my direction, and the surprise on her face seemed genuine. She looked beside me, and her eyes hardened as she looked away. I looked over to see Morelli finishing his pizza before taking a swig of beer.

Sitting back in my seat, my focus went back to the game as my mind raced. Bits and pieces of the last three years played through my mind—arguments that I had with Joe, followed by disagreements with Ranger and the different ways that I dealt with them. When things got to a certain point with Joe, one of us would call a time-out. On the other hand, Ranger and I might argue, but not once had either of us called for a break. Each time, it got harder and harder to go back with Joe, and I didn't know why that was…or did I? I kept hearing Tania saying, _"Time-outs are for games, not relationships."_ Then Terri's words as she said, _"These guys take more time-outs than Stephanie and Morelli."_ The two kept playing over and over in my head.

The cheering of the crowd brought me back to the game. It was halfway through the third with a tie game, and from the look of the crowd, we were all on the edge of our seats. Any little giveaway could mean the win. The players were still taking cheap shots, but the officials must have decided to let them play it out, because they were no longer calling penalties. It made for exciting hockey, but the players would be feeling the hurt tomorrow.

With one minute left, the players were frantic to not let the other team get another point—after all, that could make all the difference at the end of the season. The crowd was cheering for their respective teams, and the Rangers got down into the Devils' defensive zone. They kept passing the puck for the best possible shot, when finally, Martin St. Louis made a wrist shot that landed in the net. The Rangers had gotten the go-ahead goal just before time ran out.

Although I was thrilled with the Rangers' win, my enthusiasm was tempered with a sadness that today also signified the ending of something much more personal.

Joe's hand descended on my arm, and I turned to see him smiling at me. "Looks like things are looking up for the night ahead." He winked at me as he leaned in to whisper, "You always put a little extra into it when you're happy."

Instinctively, I pulled back. We'd been back together for three weeks now, but we were still in a sex time-out as we tried to work through some of the issues that had pulled us apart this last time. If I was honest, the thought of having sex with Joe again seemed more like a chore than something I really wanted to do. We'd always had a good sex life, but things felt different after this last time-out, and I'd asked to wait a while before we added sex to the mix. Joe had reluctantly agreed but had been pressing the issue from the beginning.

We gathered up our things and headed out to Joe's Jeep Cherokee. He headed for his place, and I sighed, knowing what was coming. Maybe it was best that we do this now. Pulling my phone out, I sent a text and then dropped the phone back into my bag. I could see by the look on Joe's face that he thought he'd won. I hated what I had to do, but I knew it was necessary.

Joe pulled into his drive and climbed out, not even bothering to see if I was following. Once again, scenes from earlier ran through my mind as I climbed out of the Jeep and made my way to the front door.

The minute I stepped over the threshold, Joe took me in his arms and lowered his head to mine. I lifted my hand to press against his chest as I turned my head to the side.

Joe let out a forced breath and said, "Come on, Stephanie! The games are getting old."

I backed away from him. "You're right. That's why I'm throwing in the towel. I'm done playing, Joe."

He frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Us."

"Why do you have to make things so difficult? Why can't you just let us be happy?"

"What would it take for us to be happy, Joe?"

He glared at me. "You already know the answer to that!"

"Humor me."

He sighed, running his hand through his hair, which was in desperate need of a haircut. "I'm ready to settle down and start a family. You could quit your job and stay home, and we could be happy."

"So, you would go on being a cop?"

The glare was back as he said, "We've covered this before. I'm trained to do my job, and I'm damn good at it. Your job has nearly gotten you killed numerous times, and if it wasn't the job getting you in trouble, it was Ranger. You'd be better off without either one in your life."

I smiled sadly. "Maybe. But believe it or not, I like my job. I'm good at it, too. I might not do things the conventional way, but I get them done. Ranger has always had my back in everything I've done. When it comes right down to it, he trusts me to do my job because he knows I can."

Joe got the bull dog look on his face that meant things were going to get ugly. "Is this your way of saying we need another time-out?"

I shook my head. "No. I'm letting the game play to the end because this_ is_ the end."

Joe looked shocked. "What?"

I let out a sigh. "Watching the game tonight, something became clear to me. If you are on a 'time-out,' then the two of you are not in a relationship. Time-outs are for sports, not relationships."

Joe looked confused. "Are you saying we don't have a relationship? Damn it, Stephanie, then what have the past three years been?"

I met his gaze and said, "A game. And now it's time for the game to be over." I looked down at the keys in my hands and took his house key from the ring before holding it out to him. "I can't do this anymore, Joe, because my heart's not in it."

His face reddened. "Fuck! You're going to Manoso, aren't you?"

I shrugged. "Ranger has made his feelings on relationships clear. I'm not going to press him into something he doesn't want."

"But you're in love with him, aren't you?" he asked angrily.

By now, he was shouting and his arms were waving in the air.

I shrugged before quietly admitting, "Yes."

Joe took the key and threw it at the wall before he turned to me and snarled, "Get out!"

I turned and walked out of the house. As I was closing the door behind me, a low-slung sports car pulled up at the curb, and I knew it was Ranger in the Turbo. I walked over and climbed into the car.

Without a word, he pulled away from the curb and headed toward my apartment. He parked in a spot next to the door and then got out to walk me to inside. Although we weren't touching, I felt his overwhelming support as we took the elevator up to the second floor.

I put my key in the lock and let us in. "Would you like some coffee or something?"

Ranger looked at me for several seconds before he answered, "Sure."

I went through the motions of making the coffee, not really paying attention to what I was doing. I knew that what I had done in breaking up with Joe had been the right thing to do, but a very small part of me mourned for what could have been.

Ranger took the pot out of my hands and turned me to face him. His finger lifting my chin till our gazes locked. "Talk to me, Babe."

I leaned my head against his chest. "I said goodbye to Joe."

"You guys are taking another time-out?"

I shook my head as I lifted it so I was once again looking at Ranger. "No. I figured something out tonight while I was at the Ranger's game."

The corner of his mouth lifted a bit. "What's that?"

I repeated what I had told Joe earlier.

His eyebrow raised, but he remained silent.

I shrugged. "There were a lot of penalties called tonight, and someone made the comment that the teams were having a lot of time-outs. I finally realized that what I have with Joe isn't a relationship. I told Joe that I can't do this anymore. My heart just isn't in it."

There was a stillness to Ranger that I'd never seen before. "Why isn't your heart in it anymore?"

Our gazes locked for several seconds before I told him what I'd been wanting to say ever since Scrog had shot him. "Because I'm in love with someone else."

He frowned. "Who?"

Tears filled my eyes as I whispered, "You."

Suddenly, I was crushed to his chest and he was spinning me around in the air. It took me a moment to comprehend what he was saying, but when I finally did, I heard him say, "I've been in love with you since the moment I laid eyes on you. I've been so afraid that you and Morelli would get married and I'd screwed up any chance I'd ever have of having you for myself when I told you to go back to him."

I leaned back so I could look in his face. "I thought your life didn't lend itself to relationships."

His hugged me closer and said, "That's because you and Morelli were together at the time and I didn't want to lose you if you felt pressured to choose between us."

"Would you make me choose?"

"I can live with you and Morelli being friends."

"You wouldn't ask me not to see him anymore?"

"No. I trust you."

I smiled. "I've been in love with you since the moment I first saw you, too. I was devastated when you told me to go back to Morelli."

"I was an idiot." He studied me for several seconds. "You're sure?"

I smiled. "I've never been more sure."

His forehead touched mine as he asked, "Will you move in with me?"

"What about my apartment?"

He seemed to think about it for several minutes and then said, "You could let your grandmother move in here. That way she'd have a little freedom and your dad would be happy too."

"I wouldn't have to give it up?"

"Not unless you wanted to." His eyes narrowed for a moment, and then he added, "This place has been a big part of your life. I think it represents your independence. I would never take that away from you. We're both adults. We don't have to live in each other's pockets."

I nodded. "I'd like to offer it to Grandma."

If I ever complained that I couldn't read any emotion from Ranger, in that moment, I saw it all. Love shone from his eyes and wrapped me in a warm, fuzzy feeling. I knew then that this was right and this was forever. The game was over, and now it was time to live with the love of my life.


End file.
